The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to layers that are useful in imaging apparatus members and components, for use in electrostatographic, including digital, apparatuses. More particularly, the embodiments pertain to an improved electrostatographic imaging member having a charge transport layer that is partially crosslinked, and wherein the crosslinking is achieved by incorporating a small amount of compatible thermalsetting resins into the layer. Incorporation of these resins has been shown to increase charge transport life, as the resins act as crosslinking agents.
Electrophotographic imaging members, e.g., photoreceptors, photoconductors, imaging members, and like, typically include a photoconductive layer formed on an electrically conductive substrate. The photoconductive layer is an insulator in the substantial absence of light so that electric charges are retained on its surface. Upon exposure to light, charge is generated by the photoactive pigment, and under applied field charge moves through the photoreceptor and the charge is dissipated.
In electrophotography, also known as xerography, electrophotographic imaging or electrostatographic imaging, the surface of an electrophotographic plate, drum, belt or the like (imaging member or photoreceptor) containing a photoconductive insulating layer on a conductive layer is first uniformly electrostatically charged. The imaging member is then exposed to a pattern of activating electromagnetic radiation, such as light. Charge generated by the photoactive pigment move under the force of the applied field. The movement of the charge through the photoreceptor selectively dissipates the charge on the illuminated areas of the photoconductive insulating layer while leaving behind an electrostatic latent image. This electrostatic latent image may then be developed to form a visible image by depositing oppositely charged particles on the surface of the photoconductive insulating layer. The resulting visible image may then be transferred from the imaging member directly or indirectly (such as by a transfer or other member) to a print substrate, such as transparency or paper. The imaging process may be repeated many times with reusable imaging members.
An electrophotographic imaging member may be provided in a number of forms. For example, the imaging member may be a homogeneous layer of a single material such as vitreous selenium or it may be a composite layer containing a photoconductor and another material. In addition, the imaging member may be layered. These layers can be in any order, and sometimes can be combined in a single or mixed layer.
Typical multilayered photoreceptors or imaging members have at least two layers, and may include a substrate, a conductive layer, an optional charge blocking layer, an optional adhesive layer, a photogenerating layer (sometimes referred to as a “charge generation layer,” “charge generating layer,” or “charge generator layer”), a charge transport layer, an optional overcoating layer and, in some belt embodiments, an anticurl backing layer. In the multilayer configuration, the active layers of the photoreceptor are the charge generation layer (CGL) and the charge transport layer (CTL). Enhancement of charge transport across these layers provides better photoreceptor performance. In some embodiments, the CGL and CTL may be formed in a single imaging layer. In other embodiments, the CTL may have multiple layers, for example, dual layers having a top layer and a bottom layer.
The term “photoreceptor” is generally used interchangeably with the terms “imaging member” and “photoconductor.” The term “electrostatographic” includes “electrophotographic” and “xerographic.” The terms “charge transport molecule” are generally used interchangeably with the terms “hole transport molecule.”
One type of composite photoconductive layer used in xerography is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,990 which describes a photosensitive member having at least two electrically operative layers. One layer comprises a photoconductive layer which is capable of photogenerating holes and injecting the photogenerated holes into a contiguous charge transport layer (CTL). Generally, where the two electrically operative layers are supported on a conductive layer, the photoconductive layer is sandwiched between a contiguous CTL and the supporting conductive layer. Alternatively, the CTL may be sandwiched between the supporting electrode and a photoconductive layer. Photosensitive members having at least two electrically operative layers, as disclosed above, provide excellent electrostatic latent images when charged in the dark with a uniform negative electrostatic charge, exposed to a light image and thereafter developed with finely divided electroscopic marking particles. The resulting toner image is usually transferred to a suitable receiving member such as paper or to an intermediate transfer member, which thereafter transfers the image to a member such as paper.
In the case where the charge-generating layer (CGL) is sandwiched between the CTL and the electrically conducting layer, the outer surface of the CTL is charged negatively and the conductive layer is charged positively. The CGL then should be capable of generating electron hole pair when exposed image wise and inject only the holes through the CTL. In the alternate case when the CTL is sandwiched between the CGL and the conductive layer, the outer surface of CGL layer is charged positively while conductive layer is charged negatively and the holes are injected through from the CGL to the CTL. The CTL should be able to transport the holes with as little trapping of charge as possible. In flexible web like photoreceptor the charge conductive layer may be a thin coating of metal on a thin layer of thermoplastic resin.
In a typical machine design, a flexible imaging member belt is mounted over and around a belt support module comprising numbers of belt support rollers, such that the top outermost charge transport layer is exposed to all electrophotographic imaging subsystems interactions. Under a normal machine imaging function condition, the top exposed charge transport layer surface of the flexible imaging member belt is constantly subjected to physical/mechanical/electrical/chemical species actions against the mechanical sliding actions of cleaning blade and cleaning brush, electrical charging devices, corona effluents exposure, developer components, image formation toner particles, hard carrier particles, receiving paper, and the like during dynamic belt cyclic motion. These machine subsystems interaction against the surface of the charge transport layer has been found to consequently cause surface contamination, scratching, abrasion and rapid charge transport layer surface wear problems.
As electrophotography advances, the complex, highly sophisticated duplicating systems need to operate at very high speeds, which places stringent requirements on imaging members and may reduce imaging member longevity. For example, the stringent conditions lead to abrasion of the charge transport layer and the wear of the surface generates powder, which can deposit in the machine and cause problems for other components, for example, dirty the optical elements, and spoil the charge uniformity. Excessive charge transport wear is a serious problem because it causes significant change in the charged field potential to adversely impact copy printout quality. Thus, there is a continued need for achieving desired mechanical properties such as abrasion resistance, crack resistance, wear resistance and low surface energy to help increase imaging member life span.